Just wondering as I seldom see much talk on here about hunting or even collecting trough calls. I myself really enjoy them. I hunt them and have a nice collection of Primo's, Chisholm, Cotton, Bald, Kirby, Fulcher, McPhail and some that have made for myself to use. My favorite surface is aluminum as for me is just works so well and sounds great. Post up what you use, favorite surface and whether or not you hunt with them.
I don't hunt them any more Bill because I traded my best two with you, but I think I came out ahead in that deal..
Quote from: 3bailey3 on October 07, 2022, 06:29:24 PM
I don't hunt them any more Bill because I traded my best two with you, but I think I came out ahead in that deal..
I beg to differ on that. Both of those calls have been in my vest and hunted since I got them from you. Good thing is we are both happy,
I have only had mine for one season but I hunted it this past Spring. Cedar and Green Slate made by Higher Calling Custom Turkey Calls by Nathan Taylor.
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I have a crossroads red slate cedar/walnut trough that sounds great and was very reasonably priced
Troughs and push pins are the most interesting turkey call designs to me
Never really cared for them myself, i just prefer pot calls with more surface ... Aluminum surface does make a good calling surface but it does depend on the builder. IMO .. I've had a couple of them in the past and gave them away.
I have a couple nice ones.
I have a few Jimmy Shaffers and Dick Kirby's troughs that I used to use with some success.
One of my go to calls in the fall is an old Primos Power Slot (has the ceramic frictionite surface), does a nice gobbler yelp
I'm pretty certain I've got two or three trough calls tucked away somewhere, but the only one I can identify right off the bat is a Ben Lee Super Hen that I got back in the early 70's right after he started making them. It has an aluminum surface as I recall, and I have no doubt it would call turkeys. I have just never gotten into that type of call, and I have never dedicated enough time to become proficient enough with them to use them as an alternative to the other call types I prefer to hunt with.
I'm sure that they are deadly in the hands of folks that have taken the time to perfect their use and gather up some good ones. There are probably a bunch of those folks here on OG, but I most certainly ain't one of them! ;D
The one observation I would make based on my limited experience with trough calls is that the one weakness I see is their limited volume,...or at least that has been the case with every one of them I have used or have seen used by others.
Quote from: btodd00 on October 07, 2022, 11:01:18 PM
I have a crossroads red slate cedar/walnut trough that sounds great and was very reasonably priced
Troughs and push pins are the most interesting turkey call designs to me
I agree though I really don't use the push pins. I would also add scratch boxes to the mix. Like any call if you learn how to run the call it will serve you well.
Quote from: Greg Massey on October 07, 2022, 11:36:01 PM
Never really cared for them myself, i just prefer pot calls with more surface ... Aluminum surface does make a good calling surface but it does depend on the builder. IMO .. I've had a couple of them in the past and gave them away.
I my early days of hunting I gave a few away myself. Later on, I spent the time to not only find calls that sounded good to me but also spent time learning how to run them properly. Aluminum for me is an easier call to make then the slate. Just can't get a slate to sound right to me.
Quote from: Tom007 on October 08, 2022, 07:17:57 AM
I have a few Jimmy Shaffers and Dick Kirby's troughs that I used to use with some success.
I forgot that I have a few made by Jimmy. Great craftsman and person. One of my favorites is my Dick Kirby walnut trough with aluminum strip. Great hunting call.
Quote from: GobbleNut on October 08, 2022, 08:58:38 AM
I'm pretty certain I've got two or three trough calls tucked away somewhere, but the only one I can identify right off the bat is a Ben Lee Super Hen that I got back in the early 70's right after he started making them. It has an aluminum surface as I recall, and I have no doubt it would call turkeys. I have just never gotten into that type of call, and I have never dedicated enough time to become proficient enough with them to use them as an alternative to the other call types I prefer to hunt with.
I'm sure that they are deadly in the hands of folks that have taken the time to perfect their use and gather up some good ones. There are probably a bunch of those folks here on OG, but I most certainly ain't one of them! ;D
The one observation I would make based on my limited experience with trough calls is that the one weakness I see is their limited volume,...or at least that has been the case with every one of them I have used or have seen used by others.
For me the Lee calls with the thin strip which was either aluminum or slate just don't give me the sound I'm looking for. JMO The calls I have made for myself or Primos, Chisholm and Fulcher calls tone down very nice but if you need to turn it up a notch, they can do that very well.
Only have one, and its pretty special....good enough for Mr. Kirby, good enough for me.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/4720/39379461914_0be7ca393f_z.jpg)
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I'm kind of in the old school camp regarding calls.
I love a good tongue call, a good scratcher, a good hen box, a good jet slate, a good pushpin.
Was never a huge fan of a trough.
That's recently changed when I got a Mike Lapp split decision trough. It's aluminum and corion. Great call! Has a really unique yelp. Plenty of volume and you can tone it down. Lots of nuance.
I never go out without one of Mikes' pushpins. I could see me never leaving without this trough also...
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Is a trough call just a different regional dialect name for a corn trench "call"
if so, no, absolutely positively never used one.
KnockOut Custom Calls makes some fine trough calls and pot calls ... He's mainly trough call maker ... check him out on Facebook....
Quote from: crow on October 08, 2022, 02:08:45 PM
Is a trough call just a different regional dialect name for a corn trench "call"
if so, no, absolutely positively never used one.
I can't say anything other than I have never heard a trough call called a corn trench. Not saying it's not possible as Dick Kirby called some of his Hawg troughs.
Quote from: Greg Massey on October 08, 2022, 04:30:00 PM
KnockOut Custom Calls makes some fine trough calls and pot calls ... He's mainly trough call maker ... check him out on Facebook....
Another member told me about them months ago, but I don't do facebook
I have the old - Penn's Woods - Sweet Talker. An Aluminum strip in the middle. I bought that Trough Call out of a " discount" big box of Turkeys calls back in 1989 at the old Playtogs in Middletown,NY. Might be worth 10 Bucks today.
Quote from: callmakerman on October 08, 2022, 09:13:33 AM
Quote from: btodd00 on October 07, 2022, 11:01:18 PM
I have a crossroads red slate cedar/walnut trough that sounds great and was very reasonably priced
Troughs and push pins are the most interesting turkey call designs to me
I agree though I really don't use the push pins. I would also add scratch boxes to the mix. Like any call if you learn how to run the call it will serve you well.
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I have a couple scratch boxes but I've never been very proficient with them. My favorite is the Tom gaskins
Ford Mangum.
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You and I had a good chat about the merits of the super slate and super aluminum on the phone last year. The super aluminum and very often that wise old owl trough are two of my very favorites.
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Very nice callers Alex!
WOW I forgot about that sweet batch of calls. Awesome.
I have a modest amount of trough calls and do like to use them as well. Ford Mangum and John Tanners are my favorites so far. Tried to delete the first two photos when I edited to throw the Hersh trough in the new photos. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20221010/20208bfbbbf409cc5ffccf022c7d73ca.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20221010/41928314dbd9ace29c6cecf7ee3c6a11.jpg)
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Quote from: silvestris on October 09, 2022, 10:51:28 AM
Ford Mangum.
I'm losing it. I have three of Ford's calls and they all sound great. I have yet to hunt them though.
Sounds like I might be the minority which I think gives me an edge in the woods but I personally prefer a trough over a pot call. To me they have a more natural nasally turkey sound that I like in a call and the birds always respond well to that call. My primary hunting call is a Nathan Taylor cedar green slate but I also have a cypress Creek red slate that is a close second. I also love push pins and scratchers. Again birds seem to respond well maybe because they are not commonly used but also maybe because I have spent the time to play them well
I would love to add a good aluminum trough to my collection one day if I can find a reputable source
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Ford Mangum makes a great Aluminum, given he's still making. I think he was like 92 or so when I got mine a few years ago!!
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Quote from: Beards and Hooks on October 16, 2022, 10:05:21 PM
Ford Mangum makes a great Aluminum, given he's still making. I think he was like 92 or so when I got mine a few years ago!!
I agree with this. I own three of Ford's troughs and two are aluminum. They sound great.
For sure Bill got one of each slate,aluminum, and glass.
Quote from: EastKyGobblerSlayer on October 09, 2022, 02:14:44 PM
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You and I had a good chat about the merits of the super slate and super aluminum on the phone last year. The super aluminum and very often that wise old owl trough are two of my very favorites.
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If you ever have any interest in selling that original old primos super slate I would definitely be interested. I have the later one made from cedar but doesn't near as good as the early ones. I believe the early ones are made from mahogany. So sweet!
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Quote from: Hwd silvestris on October 29, 2022, 08:58:22 PM
Quote from: EastKyGobblerSlayer on October 09, 2022, 02:14:44 PM
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20221009/b4542cd65febc0f01c415bb6ca98200c.jpg)
You and I had a good chat about the merits of the super slate and super aluminum on the phone last year. The super aluminum and very often that wise old owl trough are two of my very favorites.
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If you ever have any interest in selling that original old primos super slate I would definitely be interested. I have the later one made from cedar but doesn't near as good as the early ones. I believe the early ones are made from mahogany. So sweet! I'm pretty sure the first Primos trough was the cedar. They're in the bottom of the picture. I believe that the mahogany came later as the Heritage series and the acrylic I'm not sure where they fell into the mix.